Appstoreview Game of the Week: ‘Wreckfest’

There were a lot of good games coming out this week, so it was hard to pick just one as Game of the Week. When this happens, I usually go with the game I keep coming back to. This time, it's the new version of Handy Games' Wreckfest for iOS. It helps that Bugbear Entertainment's original version of Wreckfest was already a popular game on consoles and PC, so the source material was always going to be good. But what has really impressed me is how well Handy Games has made this technological marvel work on mobile devices.

So, at its core, Wreckfest is a lot like what you might expect from a racing game in the style of a destruction derby. There are many different kinds of events, such as full-on destruction derbies, more traditional races, and some more unusual ones. There are also a lot of vehicles of all shapes, sizes, and classes. There's a great career progression where you play through different events, earn points, level up, unlock new parts and cars, and then improve the cars you already own.

Even though it's pretty standard for a modern racing game, Wreckfest's progression system and slow release of new unlocks are so well done that I often found myself playing "just one more event," which turned into "just, like, a dozen more events" because I couldn't wait for my next unlock or upgrade. With the large number of vehicles you can get and the huge number of upgrades and parts you can add to them, I don't think it's a stretch to say that Wreckfest's progression hooks are like those of a racing game RPG.

The real highlight, though, is the way things break apart. Holy crap, the physics of destruction are nuts. Your car and the cars of your opponents can get damaged from almost any direction, and how your car drives after it gets wrecked depends a lot on how and where the damage happened. Not only does the damage affect how well the car works, but it also causes a huge amount of wreckage and debris. Parts and debris fly everywhere, and it's not just for show; most of it ends up on the track, waiting for an unlucky racer to blast right through it.

What really surprised and pleased me about this is that the destruction doesn't just happen to the cars, but also to the tracks and environments. I'm so used to cheating my way through turns in racing games by ramming into an opponent and using them as a shield while I take a turn with way more speed than I should have been able to. But when I tried to do that in Wreckfest, I was surprised when both of our cars just blew right through the track's fencing and into a bunch of tire barriers, sending dozens of tires flying all over the place.
Yes, the environments are wonderfully breakable, which means that most of the time you can't cheat your way through turns. However, this is a big win because it lets you do something even better: smash into your opponents and send them off the track. In Wreckfest, being a dirty racer is so much fun and almost requires a plan. Of course, your opponents won't think twice about being dirty to you right back, so it's fair game.

Ok, I could probably go on and on about all the cool things I like about Wreckfest, but we don't have all day. This is a full premium release that costs $9.99, and you can buy more vehicle and item packs as in-app purchases (IAPs). There's nothing you have to do to finish or enjoy the main game. It's just extra stuff you can do if you want to. Oh, and Wreckfest for mobile can be played with both physical and virtual controllers, so you're sure to find something that works for you. There are also many ways to change the graphics settings to improve performance, save battery life, or give you the best possible visuals if that's what you want. Handy Games' premium mobile ports always have plenty of options.
If you've already played and liked Wreckfest on another platform and just want a version you can carry around in your pocket, this mobile version should be more than enough. Wreckfest is a great racing game if you've never played it before and like racing games in general but want something a little different. With the graphics turned up for devices that can handle it, it's amazing to see this game running on an iPhone, and it doesn't hurt that it's also some of the most fun I've had in a long time.

Download Wreckfest